The Daily Iowan - 04.29.19

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THE ROAD TO INVICTA David Harmantas/The Daily Iowan Saleena Ziadeh celebrates knocking out Vanessa Lebron during the Midwest Kickboxing Championship in Cedar Rapids on March 2, 2019. It was Saleena’s first knockout in nine amateur bouts.

Years of training in mixed-martial arts, kickboxing, jiu jitsu, and more have prepared Saleena Ziadeh, a diabetic, first-generation American for her chance to go pro.

BY DAVID HARMANTAS

david-harmantas@uiowa.edu Saleena Ziadeh stands inside a mixed martial arts cage, 30 feet opposite her opponent and nine minutes away from improving her amateur mixed-martial arts record to 3-0. It’s a chilly spring evening in April, although it’s increasingly warm inside due to a few hundred spectators — many of whom are here to see her.

Saleena is a plug of muscle, 23 years old, standing 5-2 and fighting tonight at 145

INSIDE

pounds. The sides of her head are shaved and her auburn hair, usually worn in a topknot to keep it out of the way while she trains, is instead braided into rows. She stares across the ring in the direction of her opponent but seems to be looking past the other fighter, staring into the darkness of the Teamsters Union Hall in Cedar Rapids, beyond the bright lights of the cage.

Where other fighters might amp themselves up before the fight, Saleena stands still, her jaw clenched, only coming out of her corner to sa-

lute the crowd as the ring announcer introduces her. She returns to her corner and bounces her back three times off the chain-link fence behind her.

Her fight is not the main fight of the night, but this is a distinctly pro-Saleena crowd with cries of “Let’s go, Saleena” rising above the growing roar inside the Union Hall. At least a dozen of the fans clapping, waving, and yelling are clearly Saleena supporters, garbed in “Team Ziadeh” shirts sporting her signature

NATIONAL POLITICS

Swalwell touts gun-control reform in North Liberty Following his announcement that he is running for president, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., visited North Liberty on Sunday.

Dance Marathon 26 renames street ‘For the Kids’

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With the rise of popularity in such films as Contagion, a UI professor has made his class on diseases more interactive to appeal to a popular topic among students. alexandra-skores@uiowa.edu

Go to dailyiowan.com for the full story

The Hawkeyes had four players drafted, but four others signed as undrafted free agents. As training camp inches closer, The Daily Iowan takes a look at which former Iowa players have the best chance to stick on NFL rosters.

Learning handson public health

BY ALEXANDRA SKORES

In honor of the last 25 years of dedication toward the pediatric-oncology patients in the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Dance Marathon, in partnership with the Division of Student Life, wants to rename South Hospital Drive, located near the Children’s Hospital, to For the Kids Way.

Iowa’s undrafted free agents find new homes

SEE FIGHTER, 4

Alyson Kuennen/The Daily Iowan Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., speaks at a house party in North Liberty on Sunday. The stop was Swalwell’s first visit to Iowa since announcing his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president.

BY EMILY WANGEN

emily-wangen@uiowa.edu NORTH LIBERTY — Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., rounded out his first visit to Iowa since announcing his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president with a house party here, where he called for a ban on and buy-back policy for assault rifles.

During the event, attended by nearly 30 people, Swalwell spoke about his upbringing as a first-generation college student from Sac City and his positions on such issues as climate change, education, and gun control, among other items.

Gun control has been an issue that he has consistently stressed in speeches, media appearances, and social media.

He supports allowing such weapons as pistols, shotguns, and rifles to be used but he would like to implement a ban and buy-back policy for assault rifles.

“I like to shoot, but as a prosecutor, I saw what happens when the most dan-

Key Policies • Wants to implement a ban and buyback policy on assault rifles • Proposes a universal health-care plan that anyone can opt into • Debt-free higher education for students who participate in work study and volunteer activities • Supports no-interest student loans gerous weapons ended up in the hands of the most dangerous people,” Swalwell said. “I will be a president who makes ending gun violence a priority.”

His stance on gun control was one of the reasons Iowa City resident and member of the gun-control organization Moms Demand Action Linda Louko SEE SWALWELL, 2

For most students, University of Iowa classes may include just a textbook, a professor, and some homework or readings. For UI Associate Professor Matt Nonnenmann, learning extends outside the traditional classroom setting.

With using a hashtag for students to engage on their social media showing how many objects can contract disease, demonstrating contagious disease through bubble machines blowing at high volumes, or allowing students to wear full preventive suits, the hands-on experiences Nonnenmann gives stuNonnenmann dents have produced successful classroom experiences, he said.

The class is offered in fall semester every year, and it has grown from 30 students in the fall of 2017 to 75 this academic year. It will open this fall to 125 students.

“The core of the class is based on infectious-disease transmission,” Nonnenman said. “How that disease is transmitted, how you can assess transmission, and how you can protect yourself is covered in the class. We do activities in classes that involve how these things work.”

Students look at a variety of public-health topics, Nonnenman said, including sexually transmitted diseases, one of the most common UI Student Health deals with every year.

“After we’re done with the whole process, I tell my class that what we just did is public health,” Nonnenman said. “We identified a group that is at risk for particular diseases or undesirable health outcomes and then did an activity to inform them of what the disease is, how to prevent an outcome, and where to go for help. That is the first example of the practice of public health.”

After various introductions of public-health scenarios, the class focuses on infectious-disease categories and how they are contained. The class also watches the 1995 film Outbreak.

“As the semester progresses, we talk about zoonotic diseases — diseases that came from animals — such as HIV, plague, Ebola, and more,” Nonnenmann said. “We start at the ‘patient zero’ of who ultimately started these diseases. How did they SEE CONTAGION, 2

2 NEWS

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SUBSCRIPTIONS

Reba Zatz/The Daily Iowan The Pakistani Student Association hosted Basant at Hubbard Park on Sunday. Basant is a traditional Pakistani kite-flying festival.

SWALWELL CONTINUED FROM FRONT became interested in Swalwell as a candidate.

“I know that he is supportive of gun-sense laws,” Louko said. “We’ve got to get rid of guns, and not all of them — Moms Demand Actions is not opposed to the Second Amendment, but if we could get background checks for everyone, not just people who buy guns in stores.”

On health care, Swalwell proposed a universal health-care plan that Americans could opt into and called for more investment in health research. On education, he proposed federal investment in school infrastructure and technology.

In higher education, he proposed debt-free higher education for students who participate in work study and volunteer.

“We see so many dreams deferred — we want those dreams to be real,” Swalwell said. “The lessons and memories of college should last a lifetime. The debt should not.”

Jane Cranston, who owns the home that hosted the Swalwell event with husband Ed Cranston, is the co-chair of the Potluck Insurgency, a group that has hosted several Democratic candidates in the past. She believes the smaller venues has a big impact, because more people are able to interact with the candidates and ask questions one-onone, she said.

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Alyson Keunnen/The Daily Iowan Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., attends a campaign event in North Liberty on Sunday. The former prosecutor said he doesn’t want to ban all firearms, but he would like stop assault-rifle sales and institute a buy-back policy.

“It’s really warmth, and rapport, and that sense of being a team,” Jane Cranston said. “You’re able to capture that more in a home.”

Potluck Insurgency will not endorse any candidate, but likes Swalwell’s experience and demeanor, she said.

“The calm presence in the room, the person who actually knows stuff — that would be him,” Jane Cranston said.

The Swalwell campaign reached out to the Cranstons to host the event, she said, and it was attended by approximately 30 people, including retired Iowa City

businessman John Gross.

“I met him last year when he was here, and I connected with him really well,” Gross said.

His honesty and integrity drew him to Swalwell, Gross said.

Gross hopes the primary/ caucus process is a positive race without the mudslinging that can typically be found in politics and believes health care, education, and immigration to be the most important issues heading into 2020.

Swalwell is in his fourth term representing California’s 15th Congressional District after being re-elected in November,

Alyson Keunnen/The Daily Iowan Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, talks with attendees at a house party in North Liberty on Sunday. Swalwell would like to see debt-free college education for students and a health-care plan for all who would like it.

CONTAGION CONTINUED FROM FRONT contract this disease, and where can we track it back are questions we ask.”

Students may also don all of the protective equipment doctors use when treating an Ebola patient and learn how to properly take off the equipment, Nonnenmann

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said.

The different activities and environments allows the students to engage and enjoy the course, he said.

UI student Bianca Celozzi, majoring in health and human physiology, said she’s glad she took the course her freshman year.

“I personally really enjoyed this course,” she said.

“We learned all about diseases, how they spread, and

how to advocate. Since I am a health-related major, I was able to apply it to other things.”

Public-health major Luke Sampson said he heard about the class as an elective and it intrigued him.

“I took it on a whim,” he said. “Going through the course, I just really started to enjoy it and the way Professor Nonnenmann taught it.”

having defeated Republican nominee Rudy Peters by 50 percentage points.

He serves on the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees and chairs the intelligence modernization and readiness subcommittee. He previously served on the Homeland Security and Science, Space, and Technology Committees.

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Opinions THE DAILY IOWAN | DAILYIOWAN.COM | MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

COLUMN

IPERS: the favorite scare tactic of Iowa Democratic lawmakers

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

What’s your advice for finals week?

Debate over property taxes has caused a never-ending uproar about the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System. Four UI students offer their tips and assessments should a city’s tricks on how to tax revenue increase by more than 2 percent. Two-thirds of handle the stress that city councilors would have to accompanies the last vote in favor of the boost if that is the case. days of the semester.

MARINA JAIMES

marina-jaimes@uiowa.edu Founded in 1953, the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System has allowed public-sector workers to retire with a sense of safety, giving benefits amounting to more than $2 million to its members. The system is also the preferred method of fearmongering for the Iowa Democratic Party.

Members of the Iowa House worked into the late hours of the night last week, voting in favor of increasing transparency in raising property taxes. The Iowa Senate had previously voted in favor of the bill, now sending it to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk for the final stamp of approval.

The bill, Senate File 634, would require city councils and county boards to be held accountable when raising property taxes. It asks that boards and councils hold public hearings when planning to increase property-tax revenues by means of higher tax rates or through increased property-value

COLUMN

Opponents of the bill claim it pits public employees against essential services by capping budgets, which includes funding for public-employee health insurance for cities and counties, directly competing with IPERS. Upon debate of the bill, Rep. Chris Hall, D-Sioux City, tweeted that Iowa Republicans are “kneecapping pensions for public employees, police and fire after making EXPLICIT promises not to do so.” He cited Reynolds and Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, as Republicans who vowed not to change the system.

At a December 2018 legislative forum hosted by The Daily Iowan, Kaufmann, chair of the House State

ASHLEY BERTA

UI sophomore “Some advice would be to take advantage of the free events going on in the IMU, like breakfast and such.”

Nick Rohlman/The Daily Iowan Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, speaks at the Iowa City Public Library on Dec. 5, 2018. changes.” Months later, accusations of revising IPERS are still at hand.

‘It is clear that the lives of retirees are only a talking point to Iowa Democrats, who now have to respect IPERS as the final authority on itself.’

Government Committee, definitively stated there would be no changes to IPERS under his leadership: “There will be zero IPERS bills, period. End of story. End of discussion. No tweaks, no

Iowa House Democrats also touched on the matter, tweeting that SF 634 would put “Iowa’s retirement security in danger.”

Rep. Monica Kurth, D-Davenport, argued on the House

floor that “Iowans should know that this bill, SF 634, hurts communities, puts IPERS, and 411 in danger and does not lower property taxes.”

A statement IPERS released quashed all debate about the scandal: “This bill does not affect a member’s or retiree’s pension.”

It is clear that the lives of retirees are only a talking point to Iowa Democrats, who now have to respect IPERS as the final authority on itself. In the 2018 midterm elections, IPERS was a recurring topic, with Demo-

crats instilling fear in retirees, the most reliable class of voters.

Overall, SF 634 would increase transparency in local governments. Government officials will now have to answer to their constituents and make a solid case on why their property taxes should increase.

Anyone fighting against accountability in local government under the guise of retiree pensions should think twice about what they prioritize: their constituents or a partisan agenda.

What white students should know about faculty of color

ELIJAH HELTON

elijah-helton@uiowa.edu We hear a lot about “diversity” at the University of Iowa.

It’s one of those buzzwords ubiquitous on nice, liberal-ish college campuses such as ours. But what does diversity really mean? More pointedly, what does it mean for those with the most power?

I’m a white student. I have the privilege of not really

Most white students do not know the challenges nonwhite academics face. Let’s change that. worrying about my race or gender in this predominantly white academic setting.

Out of all full-time faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, 76 percent are white, according to the U.S. Education Department.

The demographics are even more disproportionate with professors, where 82 percent

are white (and more than half are white men).

tend to be — if money is considered. If you thought the

‘If I want to know the real-world implications of an under-diversified faculty, I need to listen to the right people.’

The discrepancies are even more egregious — as they

Thomas A. Stewart/The Daily Iowan The Old Capital is seen on Sept. 18, 2018.

STAFF GAGE MISKIMEN Editor-in-Chief MARINA JAIMES Opinions Editor Michelle Kumar, Elijah Helton, Nichole Shaw, Taylor Newby, Anna Banerjee, Zohar Nadler, Madeleine Neal, Maleaha Brings Plenty, Noah Neal, Danielle McComas, Kasey Baller, Alex Cappel, Caely Tietz Columnists AJ Boulund, Braedyn Dochterman, Haley Triem Cartoonists EDITORIALS reflect the majority opinion of the DI Editorial Board and not the opinion of the Publisher, Student Publications Inc., or the University of Iowa.

COLUMNS and EDITORIAL CARTOONS reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.

gender pay gap was bad, it’s even worse for academics of color. For every dollar a white man in higher education makes, men and women of color make 72 and 67 cents, respectively.

These are important facts to know, but the real human impact isn’t clear to individuals who want to understand these issues.

I attended a UI Student Government town hall for faculty of color to talk about their experiences navigating academia. I was hoping for some more insight, but I didn’t expect to get much out of this sort of event except more talk about how “diversity is important” and other generalized statement.

But with the opportunity to speak their minds, the faculty on the panel had much more to say than just cheerleading university-sanctioned jargon and phrases.

“I think the administration here is just sort of oblivious,” said Eric Tate, an associate professor of geographical and sustainability sciences. “It’s reflected by the lack of commitment and budget.”

Communication studies Associate Professor Darrel Wanzer-Serrano said there’s sometimes willful ignorance about such issues.

“I don’t want to let people off the hook when they remain stuck in a 30-year-old paradigm of what counts as diversity,” Wanzer-Serrano said.

I realized the banal drumbeat about inclusion wasn’t including voices from people of color themselves. If I want to know the real-world implications of an under-diversified faculty, I need to listen to the right people.

After the town hall, I sat down with the third member of the panel, journalism Professor Gigi Durham. While on the panel, she noted that self-doubt and a lack of role models impaired her career.

I asked her about what students such as me, who don’t face similar stuctural barriers, should keep in mind.

“Most of your professors have been from a certain ho-

JESSICA DAVIS

UI junior “I would recommend finding a really good study space, one that works for you. I would make sure to get there early to find a good table in either the Main Library or Law Library — one that has wall plugs.

Load up on snacks, and you’re good to go.”

BRAYDEN KNUDSEN

UI freshman “Focus on the present, not anxiety over the future or grades you’ve gotten in the past.”

CHRISTIAN PHILLIPS-GILBERT

UI sophomore “Don’t over-do yourself and make sure to get a lot of sleep.” mogenous background. I think it would be important to recognize some difference is going to add value to your education,” she said. “That’s only going to happen if you’re going to be open to the idea that a professor of color could bring some of that difference.”

So, what now? Of course, I don’t have some grand revelation to fix all the woes faculty of color face. There isn’t any single solution.

However, I do have a suggestion for white students such as me: Talk to faculty members of color. Find mentors who don’t look like you. Listen to perspectives different from your own.

If we truly want college to be a diverse utopia, we’re going to need more than just nice words.

EDITORIAL POLICY THE DAILY IOWAN is a multifaceted news-media organization that provides fair and accurate coverage of events and issues pertaining to the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Johnson County, and the state of Iowa.

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4 NEWS

THE DAILY IOWAN | DAILYIOWAN.COM | MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

FIGHTER CONTINUED FROM FRONT symbol: a panda bear wearing a pair of boxing gloves, one labeled “diabetes,” and the other “sexual abuse.”

“Ready?” the ref yells in her direction. Saleena gives a sharp nod, and the ref signals the start of the fight.

Saleena’s hands snap up to a ready position, and she charges toward the center of the cage.

...

“I’d enrolled Saleena in tae kwon do when she was 14 as a means of building self-defense — or, at least, self-confidence,” father Ramon Ziadeh said.

Saleena, the daughter of a Lebanese immigrant, grew up in Cedar Rapids, and athletics was an escape from a chaotic childhood that provided two of the major motivations driving her as a fighter years later.

First, when Saleena was around 6 years old, she experienced sexual exploitation at the hands of her mother’s adoptive father.

When Saleena was 14, she testified against the man at trial, and he was found guilty in federal court of production of child pornography. The then 78-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Second, Saleena was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes at age 6.

“It was hard to understand why I had to sit out of gym class,” she said.

Diabetes proved to be a serious opponent when she was younger — she came down with diabetic ketoacidosis, landing her in the hospital and causing her to fall behind in school.

Learning to control it, however, allowed her to eventually compete in track, swimming, and soccer in high school.

Saleena took to tae kwon do quickly, stuck with the sport for five years, earning a second-degree black belt, and by the end of her time with the sport, was teaching it at the YMCA in Cedar Rapids. It was her first job.

Her experience in tae kwon do led her to develop an interest in other combat sports, so she started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing at two clubs in Cedar Rapids.

Around this time Saleena began to think that becoming a professional MMA fighter might be in her future after having a conversation with older sister Fabiola. At the time, Fabiola was dating a professional MMA fighter, and the two sisters were watching one of his fights on TV when Fabiola asked, “What if you had the chance to fight Ronda Rousey?”

Until this point, Saleena had never thought about fighting professional-

David Harmantas/The Daily Iowan Saleena Ziadeh knocks out Vanessa Lebron with a left hook during the Midwest Kickboxing Championship in Cedar Rapids on March 2. ly, but, as she said, “Af- ticularly dominating ones weight class means fighting ter training in all of these — and she might be ready women who are taller and sports, I thought: ‘Might as to go pro. have a longer reach than well put it all together.’ ” To be effective as a mixed she does. So she limits her She started by training martial artist, a fighter conditioning to running at MMA at a gym in Cedar must combine several dif- the downtown Cedar RapRapids where she met Bill ferent disciplines. ids YMCA and circuit trainKamery, who became her “The days when you could ing at Down to Fight. boxing coach. When Kamery just be really good at one And while the sport has moved to Down to Fight thing are long gone,” Veve- started to change, female MMA, Saleena followed ra said. fighters weren’t especially him. Thus began a multiSaleena splits her train- common when she started year quest to become a pro- ing time between Down in 2012, so finding qualifessional MMA fighter. She to Fight for striking, kick- ty female opponents and needed to come up through boxing, and MMA training sparing partners in eastthe ranks of being an ama- and Tipping Point Brazil- ern Iowa has proven to be a teur fighter, however, before ian jiu-jitsu for grappling challenge. she could make the pros. training. She trains full“It’s hard to find oppoThe first professional time; she quit her job to fo- nents, period,” she said. stop for an aspiring female cus on going pro.

“You’ve got to take what fighter is the Invicta FightEven getting into the you can get.” ing ChamFor fights, pionships. she has While the UFC seen acor Bellator tion against leagues might fighters be more fa- ‘She’s earned her place here in the gym, and guys from around miliar to male Iowa and MMA fans — have learned if they give her any rope, she’ll really as far away although both as Coloraleagues have do. But for put it on them.’ female divitraining, sions — startshe goes up —Derek Loffer, Down to Fight coach ing with Invicagainst male ta makes more fighters evsense for a young female amateur ranks, however, ery day who outweigh her fighter. has proven challenging, be- by dozens of pounds.

“Some people might cause being both a diabetic “Saleena? She’s tougher watch UFC and turn off and a female fighter im- than half the guys in the women’s fights — but if pose certain restrictions on gym,” said a fighter at Tipyou’re watching Invicta, how she is able to develop. ping Point as he walked you’re there for the womDiabetes limits her abili- along the edge of the mats. en,” said Jared Vevera, ty to cut weight, which, in Saleena’s view on the Saleena’s boyfriend and turn affects how she trains. matter is blunt: “I like training partner.

She doesn’t lift weights — training with guys. They’re So far, Saleena has given her body type, she going to make you work fought in amateur boxing, can easily put on muscle, harder.” And during trainkickboxing, and MMA and but cutting weight quickly ing sessions, it’s clear that lost only one fight to date. is difficult because of her everyone is working hard — To get invited into Invicta, need to monitor her blood Saleena and her male teamshe needs to continue to sugar levels. mates come up gassed at the dominate her opponents. A But given her short stat- end of five-minute practice few more MMA wins — par- ure, fighting at a higher sessions at both Down to

Fight and Tipping Point.

The only obvious difference is that the male fighters don’t use their weight advantage — which can be substantial.

“If a guy just lies on top her, they’re not getting any training value from that either,” said Derek Loffer, the owner of Down to Fight and Saleena’s MMA coach.

Saleena, however, observed that the other fighters weren’t above taking some advantages on the mat, describing their attitudes as, “When’ve you’ve got a girl whooping up on you, it’s like, ‘All right, I’m gonna settle you down.’ ” She did concede though that “obviously, they’re not going to go 100 percent … but I hit hard enough.”

When not sparring with others at Down to Fight, Saleena grapples with friends and family. Her regular Friday night jiu-jitsu partner is older sister Eleesa, 25, who has a sports background in high-school soccer and track and started training in jiu-jitsu four years ago, largely because of Saleena’s influence.

The sisters are relatively evenly matched, both ranked as blue belts, but while Eleesa can hold her own against her sister, Saleena is usually the dominant fighter.

“I can get her in an arm bar, but no takedowns for sure,” Eleesa said. “I don’t like to stand up with her.”

Saleena’s other regular sparring partner in jiu-jitsu is her boyfriend, Vevera.

He is a more experienced grappler than she is and

works as an instructor in the dojo.

He laughs when asked what it’s like training his girlfriend.

“It has its challenges,” he said. “We get into these little fits with each other on the mat. It’s like, if anyone else talked to me like this when I was trying to help them, I wouldn’t do it. But we do have a pretty good balance.”

Besides sparring at Tipping Point, Vevera will occasionally corner for Saleena’s fights.

“I know her ground game very well,” he said.

“That’s why it’s so hard rolling with him,” Saleena said.

Ultimately though, the interaction between Saleena and the other fighters in the gym makes almost no distinction about her being a woman. Loffer said, “She’s earned her place here in the gym, and guys have learned if they give her any rope, she’ll really put it on them.”

Saleena’s demeanor outside of the ring stands in stark contrast to the woman in the fights. She seems as if she is constantly trying to suppress the urge to start smiling or giggling at any moment.

Between her various gyms and workout routines, Saleena can be in training three or four times a day, but when not doing so, she tends to hang around the apartment she shares with Vevera and her cat Russia, which is littered with drawings and panda-theme mementos.

“Pandas are my spirit animal,” Saleena said. “I was fascinated with Asian culture as a kid.” Her siblings eventually took to calling her “panda bear.”

Today, she sports a large tattoo covering her right upper arm depicting two pandas — one eating bamboo, the other enraged. “It represents that I’m a lover and a fighter.”

Around the apartment, Saleena does some of the cooking — she prefers Lebanese cuisine — but she spends a lot of her free time painting and drawing, working mostly in pencils, watercolors, and acrylics.

“I’ve never really taken any classes on it, but I just really like arts and crafts,” she said.

In the hours leading up to her fights, however, Saleena’s demeanor changes.

“I like to show up early, talk to everybody and sort of goof around,” she said.

“But then I’ll put on my headphones to get into my zone. At that point, I don’t really want to be bothered by anyone.”

...

David Harmantas/The Daily Iowan Saleena Ziadeh has Vaseline rubbed on her face by her MMA coach, Derek Loffer, before her MMA fight at Elite Fight League No. 4 in Cedar Rapids, IA on April 13.

Back in the cage in Cedar Rapids, Saleena and her opponent close the space between each other and begin to circle. The octagonal cage of black chainlink fence stands in the center

THE DAILY IOWAN | DAILYIOWAN.COM | MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019 of the Union Hall — the roar of the crowd echoing off the cinder block walls and linoleum tile of the room. Four spotlights mounted at corners of the cage draw every eye in the audience to the two fighters dancing in the ring.

Saleena throws a quick jab, and her opponent goes down, though it’s hard to tell if the other fighter simply slipped as she backed away from the punch.

Saleena tries to maneuver on top of her to take the fight to the ground, but the other fighter springs back up. The two women lock up with each other and begin to crash into the sides of the cage.

So far, the fight hasn’t gone as Saleena wanted.

“I wanted to get out there, work my hands and start throwing jabs.”

Instead, her opponent has got underhooks locked under Saleena’s armpits.

All Saleena can do for the moment is throw some knee strikes into the sides of the other fighter.

Saleena wants this fight to be a decisive win. Her

NEWS 5

“But I shouldn’t have left it in the hands of the judges.”

On this evening in Cedar Rapids, a member of the Iowa Boxing Commission had echoed this very point in the pre-fight-rules meeting, encouraging fighters to leave it all in the ring and not take their chances with the judges. But after the first few seconds of this fight, Saleena hasn’t been able to get clear and rely on her strength — her punching ability.

Despite being skilled in several combat sports, her fists usually prove decisive in a fight. Both of her previous two MMA wins have come via technical knockout by strikes in the first round. In kickboxing, she has been nearly as effective with her wins coming in the third round.

“There’s a difference between boxing gloves and MMA gloves,” Vevera said.

“The bigger boxing gloves tend to provide more protection to the other fighter when they block, and the heavier gloves slow you down a little.”

Heavier gloves have not

‘I’m not worried at all. I don’t ever feel like she’s going to lose.’

— Eleesa Ziadeh, Saleena’s sister previous two MMA wins came in the first round, and to continue to progress as an amateur and be noticed by Invicta, she needs to continue to dominate opponents. That has not always happened.

...

In order to keep a well-rounded skill set, Saleena competes in Dutchstyle kickboxing, where she has a record of 2-1 — with the loss coming in August 2018 on a split decision to Jemma Breslin, a fighter from Colorado.

It had been an entertaining fight, declared “fight of the night” with both fighters giving strong performances. Saleena was the aggressor, constantly attacking Breslin. But Breslin landed several head kicks, and from a scoring standpoint, that proved decisive.

“I disagreed with the judges — I believe I won that fight,” Saleena said.

always proven an impediment to Saleena — in her previous fight, a kickboxing fight in March, she scored a dramatic thirdround knockout, catching her opponent with a left hook to the jaw and dropping the other woman on the mat. But so far, she has yet to connect on a punch in this match.

...

The fighters, still locked together, smash into the fence and finally Saleena is able to untangle her arms.

She quickly throws a punch, and her opponent covers up her head with both hands while still staying almost bent over at the waist. Saleena immediately goes on the attack and unleashes a flurry of one-two jabs on the other woman’s head.

Selena lands at least 20 punches. Finally, the ref jumps in and stops the fight.

Saleena barely reacts, taking a small hop as she turns away

David Harmantas/The Daily Iowan Saleena Ziadeh gets a kiss from her boyfriend, Jared Vevera, after the Midwest Kickboxing Championship in Cedar Rapids on March 2. and jogs back to her corner.

She hasn’t always reacted so nonchalantly to a win.

After her knockout win in March, she screamed and jumped up, then stomped around the ring.

“I’d dedicated that fight to family friend who’d just passed away, so that was such an emotional release,” Saleena later recounted.

If that fight had been an emotional release, this fight

was another day at the office. The referee brings both women out of their corners, and Saleena is declared the winner — technical knockout at just 38 seconds in the first round. Saleena is barely breathing hard, with any exhaustion due more to adrenaline than exertion.

Once again, her punches have brought another victory.

Saleena’s is the last un-

dercard fight of the night with a final intermission before the main events start.

A large portion of the crowd takes advantage of the break to depart, streaming past Saleena, who is in the front entrance of the Union Hall, shaking hands and posing for photos with friends, family, and supporters. She’s done what she needed to do tonight — score another decisive first-round win. All

that’s left to do now is prepare for the next fight — another MMA fight in May. Saleena’s sister and sparring partner Eleesa, who was at the fight, made her way to the exit with the rest of the crowd.

Asked how she feels about seeing her sister get into the ring, she replied succinctly: “I’m not worried at all. I don’t ever feel like she’s going to lose.”

David Harmantas/The Daily Iowan Saleena Ziadeh grapples with another fighter at Tipping Point Brazilian jiu jitsu in Cedar Rapids on March 30.

6 SPORTS

THE DAILY IOWAN | DAILYIOWAN.COM | MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

FOOTBALL CONTINUED FROM 8

Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan Iowa’s Reno Tuufuli winds up to air out the shot put at the Drake Relays in Des Moines on April 26.

TRACK CONTINUED FROM 8 are a lot of good guys out there,” Tuufuli said. “There was good wind; you never know.”

Tuufuli won Drake Relays titles last year in the shot put and in 2017 in the discus. His third victory comes after a rough performance in the shot put on April 26. “[April 26] was a bad day for me,” Tuufuli said. “Instead of being negative afterward, I mentally fixed the things I needed to fix.”

He did that and more. After finishing in 10th place in the shot put, he came back on April 27 and ended up taking the victor’s podium.

Tuufuli had prior experi-

BASEBALL CONTINUED FROM 8 mound, the Hawkeye offense struggled to string together runs, scoring only 4 on 6 hits.

That changed on April 27.

When Iowa clinched the series in Game 2, it was day and night for the Hawkeye bats in the 11-4 victory.

Iowa scored 11 runs — the second highest run-total in April — and recorded 16 hits in a game that was back-andforth until the Hawkeyes broke away late.

“Our guys came out, and it was a tough battle for six innings — a 3-3 game,” Heller said in a release. “Our offense woke up in the seventh. We had some guys with some big

ence on that podium, but a different Hawkeye took it for the first time on April 27.

Freshman James Carter won his first Drake Relays title after a career-best performance in the long jump.

He jumped 7.34 meters to bring home first with the Iowa crowd behind him every millimeter of the way.

“I felt a lot of energy,” Carter said. “There were a lot of Hawkeye fans out there cheering me on, so I attacked my jumps, and it went well.

It’s an amazing meet with a lot of tradition, especially for our school with this being our state. I’m glad to be here and glad to perform well.”

Carter failed on each of his first two attempts in the event before his personal-best leap.

He went on to pass all three of his finals events.

Carter finished third in the triple jump on April 26 (15.12 meters), coming in just behind a duo of jumpers from Purdue.

Besides taking the podium at Drake on April 27, Tuufuli and Carter have something else in common: a desire to keep the victories coming going into postseason competition.

“If I can throw 58 [meters] in bad weather, then I’m confident I can put up even better marks going forward,” Tuufuli said. “I’m looking forward to Big Tens and ready to put the work in before that.”

Carter looks forward to the same event.

“I have two weeks to get ready for Big Tens. I’m ready to go hard on that,” he said.

“I’ll work hard the next two weeks of practice and show up [May 10-12] for a home meet.”

clutch hits and two-out hits.”

The Hawkeyes broke free in the game’s final three innings, outscoring Ohio State, 8-1, during the seventh, eight, and ninth.

Austin Martin and Izaya Fullard led the charge offensively with 3 hits each. Chris Whelan, Justin Jenkins, Zeb Adreon, and Brendan Sher added 2 apiece as well. All in all, eight Hawkeyes notched at least 1 hit.

After the hot bats in Game 2, Iowa couldn’t gel for a third win and a regular-season sweep on Sunday. Ohio State managed a 5-1 victory, keeping the explosive Iowa offense at bay.

The Buckeyes held the Hawkeyes to just 6 hits. Pitcher Griffan Smith went six innings, striking out 6 and walking 6.

“It is same story as last weekend,” Heller said in a release.

“Today doesn’t ruin the fact we had a good weekend and took another series, but it’s disappointing how we played today.

Offensively, we weren’t sharp.”

The loss to Ohio State puts Iowa’s road record at 9-11.

However, the two prior wins elevated Iowa’s conference mark to 11-7 — good for fourth in the Big Ten and right in the heart of another typically hot race for the top seed.

On Tuesday, Western Illinois will travel to Banks Field.

While the 6:05 p.m. contest isn’t a Big Ten matchup, the Hawkeyes’ game with the Leathernecks gives the Black and Gold another opportunity to bolster its overall record and get plenty of midweek pitching experience.

1 5 9 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 28 29 30 33 34 38 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 48 50 51 56 59 60 61 67 68 69 70 71 72

route-running ability in his two years in the Black and Gold as well as soft hands that can make some difficult catches look easy.

The Bills took two pass catchers in the draft in Dawson Knox and Tommy Sweeney, but both are tight ends who do not project to play in the slot as Easley would.

Buffalo lured away slot receiver Cole Beasley — who was an undrafted free agent himself in 2012 — from the Dallas Cowboys in the offseason, and it boasts Zay Jones and John Brown. Outside of that trio and Robert Foster, no other Buffalo wideout caught more than 20 passes last season.

DL Matt Nelson, Detroit Lions Nelson has exhibited a lot of versatility with the Hawkeyes, playing both defensive end and defensive tackle.

That will come in handy for Nelson — the Des

Moines Register reported that Nelson signed with Detroit as a project on the offensive line.

The biggest challenge for Nelson will be learning a new, difficult position in a short amount of time.

Standing 6-8 and weighing 295 pounds, Nelson certainly has the size to make the transition. He should have a chance, too.

The Lions picked up a defensive end and a defensive tackle in their draft but didn’t address the offensive line.

OL Ross Reynolds, San Francisco 49ers Reynolds has the potential to be a really good signing for San Francisco.

He will likely be comfortable in the Bay Area, where he joins former Hawkeyes George Kittle, C.J. Beathard, and Greg Mabin.

Reynolds shines in the running game, where the 49ers need contributions without exceptional playmakers in the backfield.

He can also hold his own in the passing game. San

Across After-bath powder Mexican “dollar” “Holy moly!”

“Young Frankenstein” assistant ___ and crafts Corporate giant in a 2001 bankruptcy Tito Puente’s specialty China’s Mao ___-tung Fleming who created James Bond “Wishing won’t make ___” Material that’s spotted at a fashion show?

Matterhorn or Mont Blanc Golfer’s goal Slippery fishes “___ favor, señor” Mothers, informally ___ Lingus (carrier to Dublin) Big name in newswires Area of a basketball court near the basket Lead-in to “la-la” Candy that’s not in-dispensable?

Like the hooves of wild horses Kind of tide What children should be (but not heard), they say Dove’s sound 12 on a grandfather clock Rocket’s takeoff point “Right away!”

So-so Sound from a goat Court case, e.g.

Get a grip on What you might use to get a grip on something Prime draft category “Hair” dos Composer Satie PUZZLE SOLUTIONS Corvette Stingray feature ON PAGE 2

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Francisco will put a premium on protecting Jimmy Garoppolo — its quarterback of the future who missed 13 games in 2018 with a torn ACL — next season.

OL Keegan Render, Philadelphia Eagles Render finished the 2018 season with a spot on the All-Big Ten third team as voted by the conference media and rode that momentum to an undrafted free-agent spot with the Eagles, who are just two years removed from a Super Bowl victory.

The Eagles possessed only five draft picks and took offensive tackle Andre Dillard in the first round without selecting an interior offensive lineman.

Philadelphia center Jason Kelce is one of the best in the NFL, but backup Isaac Seumalo is also a starting left guard, so there isn’t a lot of depth on the Eagles, perhaps opening up the door for an undrafted free agent such as Render.

Down “Shop ___ You Drop” (old game show) Turkish title Mega Millions jackpot Invigorating, as autumn air Mushy baby food Before, in poetry Take it all off Felix’s partner on “The Odd Couple” “Affirmative” Kind of inspection Habeas corpus, e.g.

Arboretums : trees :: ___ : animals The “A” in A.D. Kind of tide Prefix with cycle Drink, like a cat or dog Gets hitched in haste San ___ (San Francisco suburb) Sketches Bird’s home Wall covering that’s washable with soap and water Neighbor of Croatia Speed abbr.

Person who sponges “Same here” Like a dangerous raccoon Roman moon goddess Texas city on the Rio Grande “I guess the joke’s ___” Diamond head?

Chutzpah Group singing hymns Gal of “Wonder Woman” Bit of pond growth Medieval drudge Food thickener Old records … or a hint for this puzzle’s seven longest answers Long-running CBS forensic series Hair-raising cry Prefix with conservative Dental problem that braces can fix

• • • WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY • • • • Iowa New Play Festival Reading, 1:30 p.m., 172 Theater Building • Iowa New Play Festival, 2 p.m. in Faith, Nebraska, 5:30 & 9 p.m., Theater Building Theater B • Maeve McGonigal, Flute Senior Recital, 5:30 p.m., Voxman Recital Hall • “Live from Prairie Lights,” Louis Bayard, fiction, 7 p.m., Prairie Lights, 15 S. Dubuque • Jarrett Purdy Jazz Sextet, 7:30 p.m., Voxman Stark Opera Studio • Adam Stevens, Tuba D.M.A. Recital, 7:30 p.m., Voxman Recital Hall

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THE DAILY IOWAN | DAILYIOWAN.COM | MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

SPORTS 7

Tennis seasons end in Big Ten quarterfinals Both Hawkeye tennis teams managed to win their first Big Ten Tournament matches before falling in the second round.

BY CODY SMITH

cody-r-smith@uiowa.edu Both of the Iowa tennis squads finished their seasons with losses, falling in the Big Ten Tournament this past weekend.

The No. 42 men’s team, which had won four-consecutive matches entering the tournament, dominated its first matchup in the tournament.

Iowa came out determined against Nebraska in the first round and secured the doubles point handily (2-0). The Hawkeyes then continued their winning ways at No. 6, where they improved to 13-0 on the season when Jason Kerst won on straight sets.

No. 112 singles player Kareem Allaf and Will Davies then followed with straightset victories as well to lift the Hawkeyes, 4-0, over the Huskers.

“It was great to come out today and get a convincing win in the first round,” Iowa head coach Ross Wilson said in a release. “Tomorrow’s match will be a battle, but I know the team is ready to fight.”

Advancing to the quarterfinals, Iowa went headto-head against No. 35 Penn State in a rematch of an earlier regular-season matchup, which the Hawkeyes won (43) on April 5.

Iowa dropped the doubles point before falling to the Nittany Lions in a clean sweep (4-0). The Hawkeyes lost at Nos. 1 through 3 in straight sets.

On a brighter note, Iowa managed to finish the season with 18 victories, the most in a single season for the Iowa men’s tennis program since 1991 (also 18).

The women’s team had a similar route, beating its first opponent, Indiana.

No. 10 seed Iowa took down the No. 7 seed Hoosiers on April 25 in the opening round in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Hawkeyes won (42), gaining their first tournament victory since 2014, when they defeated No. 75 Michigan State (4-2). “[April 25] was simply a huge win for our team,” head coach Sasha Schmid said in a release. “I’m so proud of them. This was a very hard fought back-and-forth match, and our team really competed hard to win this match.”

Elise van Heuvelen Treadwell, Samantha Mannix, and Danielle Burich all earned singles wins.

In the second round against No. 40 Wisconsin, Iowa fought hard after dropping the doubles point. The Hawkeyes won three of six singles matches but fell (4-3).

Although the Hawkeyes

Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan Iowa’s Jonas Larsen hits a forehand during against Michigan at the Tennis Complex on April 21. did not finish the season with a victory, they concluded the season on a high note.

The Hawkeyes won 13 matches this season, the most under Schmid and third-most

since the 2009-10 season.

“Our team grew so much this year,” Schmid said in a release. “We had a young team, and they all worked hard and really martyred in

every way this year. I’m really proud of this group. They played hard today and came up a bit short. It’s tough right now, but once we all can reflect on the season and this

match, we will be very proud and motivated for the future.

We have a group of great young women on our team and I’m very excited about the future of Hawkeye tennis.”

Sports MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019

HAWKEYE UPDATES Hawkeye rowing places third at Longhorn Invitational The Iowa rowing team traveled to Austin, Texas, this past weekend for the Longhorn Invitational.

Texas won the event, and Virginia came in second. The Hawkeyes took third, defeating No. 16 Indiana.

The finish wasn’t a bad one considering the quality of teams at the meet: No. 4 Texas, No. 10 Virginia, No. 11 USC, No. 16 Indiana, No. 20 Oklahoma, No. 18 Oregon State, and Notre Dame.

The team was supposed to compete on April 27 with heats in the morning and finals in the evening, but because winds and thunderstorms were forecast, the first heats were moved up to April 26 at 6:30 p.m. with the finals on the morning of April 27.

“I think we took a good step forward as a team,” Iowa head coach Andrew Carter said in a release. “In particular, the 1V4+ had a successful two days. The crew has only been together for the Carter past few days, so it was great to see them race as well as they did. I’m keen to see how they go after a couple of weeks under their belt.”

THE MOST COMPLETE HAWKEYE SPORTS COVERAGE IN IOWA

DAILYIOWAN.COM

For whom the NFL calls In addition to the four Hawkeye draftees, four players will attempt to stick around in the NFL after signing as undrafted free agents.

To read the full story, go to dailyiowan.com

Gonzalo Leal Montero leads Iowa men’s golf at conference tournament Iowa men’s golf finished 11th at the Big Ten Championships on Sunday, and Gonzalo Leal Montero finished in 11th himself, the second-best finish of his career.

The Hawkeyes carded a 54hole score of 899 (59-over), behind Illinois, Leal Montero which placed first with a 868, and Purdue, which finished second at 873.

Alex Schaake earned the Big Ten’s Les Bolstad Award, given to the player with the conference’s lowest stroke average during the 2018-19 season. Schaake posted a mark of 70.81 this season and finished the tournament with a 13-over 223 to tie for 24th.

The NCAA regional fields will be released on Wednesday on the Golf Channel at 8 p.m.

Big Ten Baseball Standings 1. Michigan (31-11, 11-3) 2. Indiana (30-14, 11-4) 3. Nebraska (23-16, 12-6) 4. Iowa (26-16, 11-7) 5. Illinois (28-14, 8-7) 5. Maryland (22-22, 8-7) 5. Minnesota (18-22, 8-7) 8. Ohio State (24-20, 7-8) 8. Rutgers (17-24, 7-8) 10. Purdue (17-26, 6-8) 11. Northwestern (18-22, 6-9) 12. Michigan State (14-28, 3-11) 13. Penn State (19-20, 2-15)

Shivansh Ahuja, David Harmantas, Katina Zentz/The Daily Iowan Pictured clockwise from top left: wide receiver Nick Easley, center Keegan Render, defensive tackle Matt Nelson, and offensive guard Ross Reynolds.

BY PETE RUDEN

peter-ruden@uiowa.edu Four former Iowa football players heard their name called in the 2019 NFL Draft. T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant were selected by the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos, respectively, in the first round, Anthony Nelson was taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth, and the Tennessee Titans chose Amani Hooker nine picks later.

But there were another four players who weren’t

part of the 254 picks of this year’s draft but will try to continue their football careers in the NFL. Wide receiver Nick Easley signed a deal with the Buffalo Bills, defensive lineman Matt Nelson will join Hockenson in Detroit as a member of the Lions, and offensive linemen Ross Reynolds and Keegan Render signed with the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively.

Undrafted free agents such as current NFL players Chris Harris, Jason Peters, Adam Vinatieri, and Antonio Gates have played big roles at the next level

Pair of Hawkeyes bring home gold at Drake Reno Tuufuli and James Carter took first in their events in an eventful day at the Drake Relays.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Instead of being

2

games separating fourth-place Iowa and first-place Michigan

Easley should have a decent chance to stick around in the NFL. The Newton, Iowa, native showed incredible SEE FOOTBALL, 6

Hellerball bests Buckeyes in two Baseball took a series win thanks to strong pitching from Cole McDonald and hot offense in Game Two. adam-hensley@uiowa.edu

past Kentucky’s Charles Lenford Jr.. Tuufuli’s winning throw came in at 58.88 meters edged Lenford’s 58.58.

The toss was the first of the finals event for Tuufuli, and it proved enough to bring a championship flag home.

“I was hoping it would be the winner, but there

The Big Ten’s top-four teams have just two games seperating them in the standings, and after Iowa baseball took two of three games against Ohio State this past weekend in Columbus, the Hawkeyes are right in the thick of things with just a few weeks left until postseason play begins.

Iowa’s two wins came thanks to Cole McDonald’s smothering performance on the mound in the first game and some sizzling Hawkeye bats in the second.

McDonald was dealing on April 26. The senior arm nearly pitched a complete game, going eight innings and giving up just 2 runs on 6 hits. He struck out 8 in the team’s 4-2 win.

“It was a big Friday night for McDonald Cole,” Iowa head coach Rick Heller said in a release. “He went out and gave us eight innings and was dominant most of the night.”

McDonald’s 8 K’s tied for the second-most in a single game this season, and his eight innings topped out as his longest outing.

But as McDonald worked his magic on the

SEE TRACK, 6

SEE BASEBALL, 6

— Iowa thrower Reno Tuufuli on fixing his performance during the Drake Relays

Only two games separate the first (Michigan) and fourth (Iowa) teams in the Big Ten baseball standings

WR Nick Easley, Buffalo Bills

BY ADAM HENSLEY

negative afterward, I mentally fixed the things I needed to fix.”

STAT OF THE DAY

recently, so The Daily Iowan will take a look at which former Hawkeyes have a solid chance to follow suit.

Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan Iowa’s James Carter hits a scratch during the triple jump at the 2019 Drake Relays in Des Moines on April 26.

BY ROBERT READ

robert-read@uiowa.edu The hunt for the Hy-Vee Cup was the major story of the Drake Relays, which overshadowed some outstanding performances from a pair of Iowa field athletes on April 27.

Senior Reno Tuufuli won his third-career title at the Drake Relays in the discus after sneaking